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Church World Service (CWS)

CharityWatch report issued
May 2021

Top-Rated Charity
A-
CharityWatch Grade
Our independent grade based
on a number of factors.
 
88%
Program Percentage
Amount spent on programs
relative to overhead.
 
$20
Cost to Raise $100
Amount spent to raise
$100 of contributions.

Contact Information

Church World Service (CWS)
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515

Other Names

CWS
Ration Challenge

Tax Status

501(c)3

Stated Mission

Faith-based organization working to transform communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster.

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Data based on Fiscal Year Ended 06/30/2020

Program Percentage: 88%

The percentage of Church World Service (CWS)'s cash budget it spends on programs relative to overhead (fundraising, management, and general expenses).

$73,000,000

Calculated Total Expenses

(rounded)

 

Cost to Raise $100: $20

How many dollars Church World Service (CWS) spends on fundraising to raise each $100 of contributions.

$27,000,000

Calculated Total Contributions

(rounded)

Government Funding

50% to 100%

Percentage of cash revenue
coming from government sources

 

Financial Documents

Entity Document Type Tax ID
Church World Service IRS Form 990 13­-4080201
Church World Service Audited Financial Statements 13­-4080201
Entity: Church World Service
Document Type: IRS Form 990
Tax ID: 13­-4080201
Entity: Church World Service
Document Type: Audited Financial Statements
Tax ID: 13­-4080201

Governance & Transparency

CharityWatch evaluates certain criteria related to a charity's Governance and Transparency. Donors may want to consider a charity's willingness to be open and transparent with CharityWatch to be a good litmus test for determining its commitment to public accountability.
This charity is Top-Rated
What does it mean to be Top-Rated?
 
Church World Service (CWS)
meets governance benchmarks.
 
Church World Service (CWS)
meets transparency benchmarks.
Transparency
Provides Financial Information
Audit Accessibility
Governance: Policies
Reports regularly & consistently monitoring & enforcing compliance with a written Conflict of Interest Policy
Reports required, annual disclosure by officers, directors, and key staff of interests that could give rise to conflicts
Reports having a written Whistleblower Policy
Reports having a written Document Retention and Destruction Policy
Governance: Financials
Reports providing copy of tax form to all board members prior to filing it with IRS
Reports that financial statements were audited by an independent accountant
Governance: Board of Directors
Reports at least 5 voting board members
51% or more of voting board members reported as independent
Reports documenting minutes of board and board committee meetings
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy

  Name Title Compensation
1 John L. McCullough President/CEO $373,825
2 Erol Kekic Immigration and Refugee Program $196,112
3 Maurice A. Bloem Executive VP $189,539
1
Name: John L. McCullough
Title: President/CEO
Compensation: $373,825
2
Name: Erol Kekic
Title: Immigration and Refugee Program
Compensation: $196,112
3
Name: Maurice A. Bloem
Title: Executive VP
Compensation: $189,539

CharityWatch Analysts perform an in-depth analysis of charities' audited financial statements and IRS tax filings, and often review other documents such as state filings, annual reports, and fundraising contracts during their evaluations. Below are select notes that CharityWatch believes may be of interest to donors.

According to the Church World Service (CWS) tax filing for the fiscal year-ended June 30, 2020, CWS reports receiving donated in-kind goods on which it placed a total value of $1,096,181. The in-kind goods are reported as consisting of: $490,194 in "Hygiene Kits"; $331,540 in "Emergency Clean Up Kit[s]"; and $274,447 in "School Kits" (IRS Form 990, Schedule M).

[Note: CharityWatch generally excludes the value of in-kind (non-cash) donations of goods and services from its calculations of Program % and Cost to Raise $100. More information on how grades are calculated and the treatment of in-kind donations can be found on the Our Process page.]

According to the Church World Service (CWS) audit of June 30, 2020 (Note 9, Debt Obligations):

"On April 21, 2020, the CWS was approved for the Paycheck Protection Program ('PPP') loan which it applied for in response to the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic (see footnote 19 [cited below]). CWS received funding for the PPP loan in the amount of $3,323,192. Due to the government grants received for certain expenditures, CWS returned $2,157,035. The remaining $1,166,157 is subject to forgiveness if it is utilized for expenditures such as certain payroll, rent, and utility costs. No principal payments are due until November 2020 at which point CWS will begin making regular monthly payments of approximately $119,800 over an 18-month period. Interest accrues at a fixed rate of 1%. It is CWS's intent to utilize the loan proceeds for purposes that qualify the loan for forgiveness and management expects the loan to ultimately be forgiven. At June 30, 2020, the balance of the PPP loan, including accrued interest, was $1,166,157."


According to the Church World Service (CWS) audit of June 30, 2020 (Note 19, Risks and Uncertainties):

"On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization ('WHO') announced a global health emergency because of a new strain of coronavirus (the 'COVID-19 outbreak'). In March 2020, the WHO classified the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic...

"The full impact of the pandemic continues to evolve as of the date of this report [October 16, 2020] and has affected CWS's operational and financial performance due to the impact on its program services, which is the result of various restrictions put in place by governments to curtail the spread of the coronavirus as well as due to developments such as social distancing and shelter-in-place directives. To mitigate the negative impact on its operational and financial performance, CWS received financing from the Small Business Administration (the 'SBA') totaling $1,166,157 through the Paycheck Protection Program (the 'Program'). ... [M]anagement expects the loan to ultimately be forgiven in fiscal year 2021. The final guidelines have not been issued; therefore, the amount of the forgiveness cannot be estimated at this time. See Note 9 [cited above] for details regarding this loan.

"While expected to be temporary, CWS cannot estimate the length or gravity of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak at this time. If the pandemic continues, it may have an adverse effect on CWS's results of future operations, financial position, and liquidity in fiscal year 2021."

According to the Church World Service (CWS) audit of June 30, 2020 (Note 18, Collective Bargaining Agreement):

"CWS is party to a collective bargaining agreement and agrees to be bound by the terms of the labor union agreements with the employees to ensure a supply of labor for designated roles in their New York City office.

"As of June 30, 2020, approximately 4% of the employees are under the collective bargaining agreement represented by the union. The bargaining unit has continued to work without any disruption."


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